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缘分”是所谓命中注定的人与人遇合的机缘。英译“缘分”(亦作“天缘”)以及“有缘”、“无缘”常用的英文词有fate, luck, lot, destiny 等。请看几个例子:4 s( C% i5 n) v
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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)( V) S5 U1 H" X
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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)0 _* P& y, z. N9 B
& f. Q$ j0 i% S% V+ \" m2.[宝玉问香菱为何薛蟠相亲定下了金桂,香菱笑道] 一则是天缘,二来是“情人眼里出西施”(《红楼梦》)
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$ l) R0 Q0 }; o( O! YIt‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) # v' W3 E' _: a. l9 G
* {" _6 F3 o1 a5 |2 l3.[王婆为了撮合西门庆和潘金莲,故意问前者是不是妻子死后,没有别的女人他中意的。西门庆争辩说]做甚么了便没?只恨我夫妻缘分上薄,自不撞着!(《水浒》)$ L8 _ p, f+ p7 B+ g h5 B' ?9 u
, [) u2 |0 w( ]$ c0 O! ?: bWho says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译)1 T9 {5 Z9 x: y7 E, r" j
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4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) ' V- q3 g2 [7 k+ n
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)% D( E) z' q# w6 }: l6 G
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5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)
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" A: F" ]" c: R) Z2 z) fMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)# ~4 K3 D0 f* U
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6.[杜慎卿向季苇萧诉说自己没有知心朋友]只为缘悭分浅,遇不着一个知己,所以对月伤怀,临风洒泪!(《儒林外史》)5 U6 [* L$ X6 d G
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But I have not been lucky enough to find a true friend, and that is why I so often give way to melancholy! (杨宪益、戴乃迭 译): ^9 J i) v v2 f# O- s0 Q
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7.君琴瑟之好,自相知音;薄命人乌有此福。如有缘,再世可相聚耳。(《聊斋.宦娘》)5 e1 _9 o# g$ {6 Y) y5 y8 G F8 o" [
; t2 _/ x% k7 t0 x. Q. r* TYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me4 S, c9 F7 c- ~0 I
' r7 n6 v" H3 |0 o; c& q/ rsuch blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)
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5 w L; c* V) C N; r$ G8.[方鸿渐看不中张小姐,心中暗说]“我你他”小姐,咱们没有“举碗[案]齐眉”的缘分,希望另有好运气的人来爱上您。 (《围城》)) O l7 T* B: Y0 X$ M4 z
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Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love
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% [% D+ j; Z9 t0 H: cwith you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译): k' h2 x; b" \- h. [, `
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可以看出,以上句子里的中心词都含有“命运”的意识,英译亦然。《围城》一例所mean,据New World Dictionary 等词典的解释也有 to destine or seem to destine 的意思,颇为妥帖。
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然而,“缘分”等词和命运的关联在有的用法里变得淡化了,甚至完全消失了。它只是泛指一种机遇或者机会。所以M. Roberts翻译《三国演义》的以下两句,用的词语和上边英译句子中的相应部分不同:
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7 V8 _; x z$ S9.[刘备二顾草芦时误认诸葛均为为诸葛亮,说]备久慕先生,无缘拜会。
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) R! [% [/ x, g* W+ p) K7 FYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you./ u w% N5 i+ n- T
: k; ~# m$ D5 P6 f* {不仅如此,这种机遇还可以发生在人和事物之间。体育报道里说的“无缘(进入)决赛(be barred from entering the finals; be disqualified for the finals) 即其一例。《浮生六记》的作者沈复(字三白)因妻子陈芸喜欢李白和白居易的诗,就跟她说:0 [# I' k0 n8 M5 \: I% d( i
7 _/ L0 T5 [$ I$ |) x7 ~11.异哉!李太白是知己,白乐天是启蒙师,余适逢字三白,为卿婿;卿与“白”字何其有缘耶?
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This is very strange. So LiBai is your bosom friend, Bai Juyi is your first tutor and yours band‘s literary name is Sanbai. It seems
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that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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